Improvement in organs



B. DUFNEB. Organs, 611e.V

Patented Oct. 11,1875.

Y parts in the figures.

UNITED STATES PATENT @EErcE BERNHARD DUFNER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN ORGANS, &c.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 168,561, dated October11, 1875 application filed August 26, 1875.

To all whom it may concern.: l

Be it known that I, BERNHARD DUFNER, of Buffalo, in the county of Erieand State of New York, have invented certain Improvements on WindInstruments, such as Organs, Melodeons, or Orchestrions; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, having reference to the accompanying drawing,` making a partof this speciiication, and illustrating my invention more fully. Y

In the same, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sec-A tional elevation, and Fig.2 a plan, of that part of the instrument above 4referred to to which myinvention relates.

Like letters of reference indicate similar My invention is designed toovercome the obstacles and drawbacks experienced in the operation of theregister-slides of organs as commonly constructed. These slides areusually made with openings registering with the pipe-openings to supplya stop or number of pipes pertaining to one stop with the necessarywind, and they are moved to connect and disconnect a particular set ofpipes with the instrument. These slides are made ot wood, and from thenature of that'material are open tothe objection that, in a moistatmosphere, they will swell and operate with difficulty, while in warmweather or in hot climates they shrink and allow considerable waste ofwind. In fact they are inlluenced by the ever-varying climatic changes,constan tly out of order, or at least not in what may be termed perfectworking order.

To overcome these objections and obstacles I construct the wind-chest ofau organ or orchestrion and the like with a number of auX- iliarywind-chests corresponding with the number of stops required in theinstrument, and provide each with a full set ot' valves for all thepipes belon ging to one stop. These chests are arranged upon one plane,and all the valves in the alternate chests belonging to the same key arecoupled together so as to operate simultaneously whenever acted upon bythe proper key upon the key-board. Each ofthe auxiliary chests isprovided with a supplyopening closed by a valve opening into the mainchest, and operated from the outside of the instrument either by keysfrom the key-frame, as in automatic or self-playing instruments, or bypulls, as in organs or melodeons. These valves admit the wind into theauxiliary wind-chests, and the pipes pertaining to these chests willsound Whenever the pipe-valves are opened. valves in the main chest maybe coupled, if desired. The arrangement ofthe stop-valves discards theusual slides altogether, and is from its nature and construction freefrom the objections to Whichthe slides are liable. The pipe-valvesV areplaced vertically behind the partitions containing the wind-passages,and each set is pushed open simultaneously, as fully illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionpertains to make and use the same, I shall proceed to describe itsparticulars of construction.

A is the main wind-chest, and supplied with the compressed air frombellows in the usual manner. B area seriesofauxiliarychests placed overthe main chest A, and connected there with by passages (l. The chests Bare produced by a number of partitions, D, having wind-passages Eleading to the pipes inserted into the pipe-sockets F in the cover G ofthe instrument. The passages C are each provided with a valve, I,opening into the main chest and provided with springs K to keep them inproper position. These valves serve to open connection between the mainand auxiliary chests, andare operated upon either automatically from thekey-frame O by levers or rods N acting upon the valve-rods L, or bypulls and proper connections with the said valve-rods L similar to thoseof organs and melodeons with the sliding register. P are the pipe valvesplaced vertically into the auxiliary chests B behind the partitions D,and they are connected with their proper key Q by the bell-crank leversR and the rods T. rlhese pipe-valves are litted with springs similar tothose of the stop valves in the main chest. Other mechanism, as thatdescribed to operate the pipe'valves, may be substituted iu di'erentinstruments to open the Valves P by the rods T from the key-boardaccording to the nature ofthe instrument, the mechanism, as described,being for an orchestrion or auto- The various teaser inatically playinginstrument, wherein the keys are lifted by thc pins V in the revolvingcylinder U.

It will be observed that all the pipe-valves P in the series ofauxiliary chests B belonging,1 to the same key 0r being, as it were, ofthe same pitch, operate together whenever the proper key is actuated,but none of the pipes whose valves are open can sound, although the mainchest be fullof Wind, unless the chestvalve or valves I are opened tosupply the respective auxiliary chest or chests With the necessary Wind.Thus, it will be seen, the pipe-valves P and chest-valves I operateindependent ot' each other, although they at times Work in unison, therebeing separate keys for the pipe-valves, and keys or pulls for thechest-valves.

The Whole chest, With its appurtenants, is so constructed as to beeasily dissected for re pair or other purposes, and climatic changeshave but little ifanyintluence upon the proper action of the mechanism.

Havin` thus described myinvention, I desire to secure to me by-LettersPaent- 1. The combination, with the auxiliary chests B, each providedwith a full set or stop ot` pipes, ot' the chest valves I, arranged tobe operated substantially as described, whereby any one or more set orsets of stops may be engaged or disengaged at pleasure, for the BERNHARDDUFNER.

Witnesses:

MICHAEL J. STARK, FRANK HiRsoH.

